Arthur e



(No Model.)

' A. E. HOBSON.

DIE FOR FORMING FLAT OR HOLLOW WARE.

Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

V -N. PETERS. Pbolomm nphur. Waiinglon. it Q.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

ARTHUR E. HOBSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I. J. STEANE & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

DIE FOR FORMlNG FLAT OR HOLLOW WARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,280, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed April 9, 1889. Serial No. 306,603- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. I-IOBSON, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Dies for Forming Flat or Hollow \Vare, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby a comparatively perfect reproduction of artistic hand ornamentation of flat or hollow ware-as works of art or for table use-may be reproduced in any desired number by the use of dies. Prior to my invention it has been found impossible to reproduce the peculiarities and effect of handwork used to ornament hollow and flat ware by means of dies, for the reason that a metalas steel of a sufficient strength to withstand the enormous pressure cannot be worked by the die-sinker with suflicient skill to cut the dies in any practical imitation of carving or rcpouss Work, and even if one part of the die in a comparatively simple form was made there was no means of exerting sufficient pressure, which would be needed in the formation of hollow Ware, to force the metal into all of the parts of the die, so as to produce a replica. By extended experiment I have de veloped means of reproducing hand-work by the use of dies; and my invention consists in a die for forming flat and hollow ware with its working-face produced by the electrodeposition of metal, and provided with a backing of'a metal fusing at a lower temperature; and it further consists in the combination of such. a die with a liquid medium, and a press whereby a great pressure is brought upon the liquid; and it further consists in details of the several parts making up the operating parts of the dies and in their combination, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail view, in side elevation, of a pattern used in making my improved die, with parts cut away to show construction. Fig. 2 is a detail top View of the pattern. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a die with a blank inclosed,

and having parts cut away to show construction. Fig. 4 is a detail top View of the die with blank inclosed and with parts cut away to show construction. Fig. 5 is a detailview,

in central longitudinal section, of a die of my improved construction for forming hollow ware.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes a pattern, that is ornamented to any I desired degree by suitably engraving the 6s outer surface. This pattern is foruse in producing an article of hollow ware, as for table use, and the pattern a is cut, preferably, in planes parallel to the axis,'as by means of a fine saw, and the slits are filled by the feathers b, which are fiat plates of metal that extend within the pattern and for .a considerable distance beyond the outer shell, and these feathers are firmly soldered in place. Such apattern is silver-plated if of a metal that acid will cut, and the pattern is then oxidized in any suitable manner, as by the use of sulphate of potash, so as to form aparting layer between the pattern and the die. This pattern is coatedas withwax-on the inside, and is by means of an electro-bath covered with a considerable thickness of copper, that forms the working-face c of the die, this copper portion extending radially outward along the opposite sides of the feathers, as at d, and it is on these planes that the mold is separated into several sections. Although copper is preferred for this purpose and is used,

I do not, of course, limit myself to this specific metal for forming the working-face of the die, any equivalent metal having the same properties or acting in the same way under the influence of an electric current in a plating-bath being within the purpose of my invention. In order to properly form this copper so that the angular portion ol-will be made integral with the working-faces,it is necessary to change the position of the pattern with regard to the direction of the axis of the pattern while the copper is being deposited; but this peculiar method and its production forms the subject-matter of a pending application for a patent, filed April 9, 1889, of Serial No. 306,604, and reference is made to such application for a fuller description of the process. Having produced the copper Working-face, it is filled out with a backing e, of tin or like metal, that fuses at a lower temperature than copper, and this die-blank is then put in a lathe and turned down to the required size and shape to fit into a socket in the press, that may be either a hydraulic or drop press. This sectional die is used by placing it within a socket in a press, placing a blank fwithin the die, filling such blank With Water, and then by the exertion of great pressure forcing the Walls of the blank out- Ward, so that the vessel will receive, in reverse on its outer surface, an exact reproduction of the Working-face of the die.

In using my improved die the press forming the subject-matter 'of my United States patent, dated May 29, 1888, Reissue No. 10,934, is preferably used, as the great 1110- bility of the water audits capability of transferringpressure in all directions throughout its Whole volume when any part of its surface is pressed upon affords a perfect means for pressing the Walls of the vessel against the copper Working-face of the die Without the slightest danger of injuring or breaking down even the thinnest parts of the die that are reproductions of the minutest, as Well as the greater, touches, that are the evidences of hand-work employed in making the pattern. In case an article of fiat Ware is reproduced, the die h is made in a single piece, the Working-face and backing being prepared by the same means and method as already described with respect to the sectional die.

I claim as my invention- 1. The improved die for forming fiat orhollow ware, provided With a working-face consistin g of a metal electrotypic reproduction of a hand-made or hand-ornamented pattern, and a backing composed of a metal fusible at a lower temperature than the metal of the Working-face, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The improved die for forming fiat or hol- 10W Ware, provided with a Working-face consisting of a metallic electrotypic reproduction of a hand-made or hand-ornamented pattern,

and a metallic backing to support and hold 'the metallic face, substantially as described,

and for the purpose specified.

3. In combination, a shaped die having a working-face consisting of a metallic electroeral die-sections, each having the Workingface of a metallic electrotypic reproduction of a hand-made or hand-ornamented pattern, the radially-extending integral flanges, and a metallic backing fusible at a lower tempera ture than the working-face of the die, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

ARTHUR E. HOBSON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. L. BURDETT, A. B. JENKINS. 

